Gearing for washing-machines and the like



J. A. DIENNER.

GEARING FOR WASHING MACHINES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED APR-2, I918.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

' J. A. DIENNER.

GEA RING FOR WASHING MACHINES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2,1918.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. A. DIENNER. GEAHING FOR WASHING MACHINES AND THE LIKE. APPLICATIONFILED APR. 2, I918.

1 ,387,365, I Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. DIENN'ER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR '10 WALTER J. CONLON,OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GEARING FOR WASHING-MACHINES AND THE LIKE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I JOHN A. DIENNER, a citizen of the United tates,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of detaildescription that it is not limited to such use only.

More particularly, the gearing provides control mechanism forcontrolling the operation of the washer mechanism and independentcontrol mechanism for controlling the operation and direction ofrotation of the wringer rolls. This mechanism comprises gears andcooperating clutches embodied in a unitary and compact powertransmission mechanism. I preferably dispose this transmission mechanismrelatlvely low on the machine where it presents no hindrance to.

wringing clothes nor to inserting or removing clothes from the drum orcontainer.

dispose the electric motor and the different control and drivingmechanisms so that they will not obstruct any of the washing or wringingoperations; so that they will permit of a maximum sized clothescontainer; and furthermore, so that they will preserve the generalbalance of the machine.

I shall now' describe a preferred embodiment of my invention to acquaintthose skilled in the art how to construct and use the same.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is an end elevational view of the washing machine, wringer andthe driving mechanisms therefor, with parts of the gear housing brokenaway to illustrate the interior arrangement;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational 'view of the same with the tank and maingear housing broken away to reveal the construction; and

Fig. 3 is a' schematic layout of the driving and controlling mechanismof the washing machine.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 2, 1918. Serial No. 226,144.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the main body of the washing machinecomprises a rectangular sheet metal tank'l, having a semicircular bottom2. An open drum or clothes container 3 built of end members and crossslats is pivoted in bearings in the .tank 1. This drum has a suitabledoor or opening forthe insertion of the clothes and the drum is of suchsize as to substantially fill the tank as shown by the dotted circle inFig. 1.

The tankhas the usual cover 01' lid 4 to afiord access to the drum 3 andis supported upon the four legs 5, provided with swivel casters 6. p

A triangular frame casting 7 in the form of a spider has one arm 8firmly secured to the tank 1, another arm 9 secured to one of Fornumerous reasons I find it advantageous to dispose the motor 12 on theend of the washing machine as shown, rather than under the tank orcasing l, as is so often the practice. First, with the motor under thetank the clearance of the machine is materially reduced, and the clothescontainer must be of reduced size and capacity to accommodate the motorthereunder. Second, the difficulty and loss of power involved in drivingaround the corner of the washing machine and third, the underslungdisposal of the motor subjects it to the moisture dripping and leakingfrom the washing machine casing.

The arm 10 of the spider member 7 is provided with a gear housingextension 16 having suitable hearings in its end for supporting the wormgear 17. The worm gear 17 has connection through a stub end with asleeve coupling 18, having pin and slot connection with the stub andmotor shaft-s.

A worm wheel 19 meshes with the worm gear 17 within the housing 16, andis mount:

ed upon the end of the inclined shaft 21 and drives the bevel gear 24.The housing 23 bolts to a flange 20 on the end of the hearing 22. Theshaft 21 terminates substantially flush with the top of the gear 24.Another bevel gear 25 is journaled in the hub 27 in the side of thehousing 23, and meshes with the power bevel gear 24. The pivotal supportof the bevel gear 25 is in the form of a stub sleeve 26 pro ectingthrough the hub 27 and surrounding the end of the shaft 28.

The shaft 28 is supported in bearings 29 and 30, integral with thespider casting 7 and operates to drive the drum '3 through the reversingmechanism 32 as I shall presently describe. A sleeve housing 33,integral with the spider casting 7 slips over the hub 27 of thetransmission housing and incloses the shaft 28 and its operating parts.

The clutch collar 34 is splined on this shaft and has clutching elements35 adapted for driven engagement with clutching elements 36 on the endof the stub sleeve 26. A shifting lever 37 is pivoted to an extension ofthe sleeve housing 33 and has a forked end extending through an openingin said housing and engaging in an annular groove in the clutch collar34.

My invention is not concerned with the reversing mechanism 32 and itwill sufiioe to say that the two loosely mounted bevel pinions 38 and 39are alternately connected to the shaft 28 by the sleeve 41 and rockingkey 42 for reversibly rotating the large bevel gear 43. The large bevelgear 43 rotates the clothes container or drum 3 through a large frictionclutch, the housing of which is indicated at 44 in Fig. 2. The functionof this clutch is to absorb the back lash of reversal and itsconstruction and operation are fully set forth in the application ofWalter J. Conlon, Serial No. 197,184 filed October 18th, 1917. Theprovision of the friction clutch is, of course, optional in the presentmachine.

An upper bevel gear 46 meshes with the bevel gear 25 and rotates freelyabout the shaft 47. As shown in Fig. 3, the motion of this gear isreversed to that of the power gear 24. The shaft 47 extends up through asheet metal sleeve 48 into the gear housing 49, where it is keyed to abevel gear 51. The shaft rotates in suitable bearings formed in thehousings 48 and 49, and has its lower end extending down adjacent thegear 24.

A clutch collar 52 is splined upon this lower end and adapted to engagewith cooperating clutch elements 53 and 54 on the faces of the ears 24and 46, respectively. As indicated 1n Fig. 3, upward shifting of theclutch collar 52 is operative to connect the shaft 47 to the gear 46 torotate the shaft to the left, while downward shifting of the clutchcollar is operative to connect the shaft to the lower gear 24 to rotatethe shaft to the right.

This shifting of the clutch collar 52 is effected by a forked leverengaging in an annular groove in the clutch collar and pivoted in anopening in the transmission housing cover 23. An operating rod 56 haspivotal attachment to the outer end of the lever 55 and to an operatinglever 57 pivoted on the side of the gear housing 49. This rod is bentback to pass down through the sleeve 48 alongside the shaft 47.

The rod 56 may pass directly into the housing 23 and connect with theclutch collar 52 without the intervention of the lever 55 if so desired.

The bevel gear 51 meshes with a second bevel gear 58 mounted upon thedriving shaft 59 of the wringer rolls 60. I preferably interpose afriction clutch indicated in dotted lines at 61 in Fig. 1 between thebevel gear 58 and driving shaft 59 to prevent injury to the motor 12 incase the rolls become jammed or stalled. The rolls 60 are positivelygeared together by the conventional long tooth pinions 62. The wringer63 is of a conventional type and has a quick release mechanism 64 forreleasing the tension upon the rolls 60. The depending side members ofthe wringer frame are bolted to the legs 5 as shown at 65, and a bracket66 is bolted to one of these side members and supports the gear housing49.

The reversing mechanism 32 is inclosed in a suitable casing 67, and thusit will be apparent that all of the operating parts of the machine areinclosed to prevent catching or soiling of the clothes.

The control lever 57 works over a notched bracket 68 and has the threepositions indicated in the diagram of Fig. 3. The other control leverworks over the notched bracket 69 and has the two positionscorresponding to rotation and non-rotation of the clothes drum 3.

The simplicity and compactness of the arrangement will be apparent. Thethree gears in the housing 23 and their associated clutches comprise theentire mechanism for controlling and transmitting a uni-directionaldrive to the drum operating shaft and for independently controlling andtransmitting a selective drive to the wringer operating shaft.

I do not intend to be limited to the particular details herein shown anddescribed.

I claim: a

1. In a washing machine, washing mechanism, wringing mechanism, powermeans for driving said mechanisms, a power driven member, a first geardriven directly by said power driven member, a plurality of transmissiongears all in mesh and driven from said first gear, driving means forsaid washing mechanism, driving means for said wringer mechanism, andcontrol means operable to releasably connect said driving means for saidwashing mechanism through said gears, and to selectively connect saiddriving means for said wringing mechanism whereby said latter drivingmeans is driven directly from said power driven member for motion in onedirection or is clutched to one of said plurality of transmission gearsfor motion. in the other direction.

2. Iii a washing machine, washing mechanism, wringing mechanism, powermeans for driving said mechanisms, a selective transmission nnitcomprising a plurality of gears all in mesh, one of said gears beingdriven by said power means, driving means for sa d washing mechanism,driving means for said wringing mechanism, both. of said driving meansbeing normally disconnected from said gears, control means operable toconnect said first driving means to said gears, and independent controlmeans operable to selectively connect said latter driving means to saidpower driven gear directly or to another of said gears for motion ineither direction.

3. In a washing machine, washing mechanism, wringing mechanism, powermeans for driving said mechanisms, power transmission mechanlsmcomprising a plurality of.

shafts, gears on said shafts,,all of said gears being in constantdriving mesh, one of said shafts having connection with said powermeans, the other shafts having connection with said washing mechanismand with said wringing mechamsm, and clutch means for driving one ofsaid latter shafts from said gears and for driving another of saidshafts selectively in either direction from said power shaft directly orthrough said train of gears.

4. In a washing machine, washing mechanism, wringing mechanism, powermeans for driving said mechanisms, a unitary power transmissionmechanism comprising a plurality of shafts, a gear on each of saidshafts, one of said shafts having connection with said power means, theother shafts having connection with said washing mechanism and with saidwringing mechanism, clutch means for driving one of said latter shaftsfrom said gears, an independently operable clutch means for drivinganother of said shafts selectively in either direction from said powershaft directly or through said train of gears.

5. In a washing machine, a main tank or casing, a clothes washer withinsaid tank, a.

wringer on said washing machine, an electric motor mounted u on the sideof said tank, a power shaft driven by said motor, a first gear on saidshaft, a second gear meshing with saidfirst gear, a third gear meshingwith said second gear, a second shaft having operative connection withsaid clothes washer, clutching means for connectin said second shaft tosaid second gear, a th1rd shaft having operative connection with saidwringer, and clutching means for selectively connecting said third shafteither to said first gear or to said third gear.

6. In a washing machine, a main tank or casing, a clothes washer withinsaid tank, a wringer on said washing machine, an electric motor mountedupon the side of said tank, a power shaft driven by said motor, a firstgear driven by said ower shaft, a second gear meshing with said firstgear, a cross shaft having operative connection with the reversinmechanism of said clothes washer, clutc ing means for connecting saidcross shaft to said second gear, a third gear meshing with said secondgear, an upright shaft havin operative connection with said wringer anindependent clutching means for selectively connecting said uprightshaft with either said first gear or said third gear.

7. In combination, a power gear, a second gear meshingwith said powergear, a third gear meshing with said second gear, a plu-- independentlyoperative clutch means for connectin another of said shafts to one oranother 0 said gears for selectively driving said shaft in eitherdirection.

8. In combination, three meshing ears, a plurality of shafts forsaidgears, t e first of said shafts being power driven, the remainder ofsaid shafts being normally disconnected from said gears, clutching meanson a secondshaft for driving said second shaft in uni-directionalrotation from said gears, and clutching means on a third shaft fordriving said third shaft in either direction from said gears.

9. In combination, a substantially vertical power shaft, a substantiallyvertical wringer driving shaft axially in line with said power shaft, asubstantially horizontal washer driving shaft, a gear case, three gearsin mesh in said case, said shafts all having their ends projecting intosaid case in line with said gears, said power shaft being attached toone of said gears, clutching means for clutching the wringer drivingshaft to move with the power shaft, said clutching means havingmechanism to drive the wringer shaft from the power shaft through saidthree gears, and clutching means for controlling the drive through saidhorizontal washer driving shaft.

10. In combination, a substantially vertical power shaft, asubstantially vertical said power shaft, a substantially horizontalwasher driving shaft, a gear case, three gears in mesh in said case,said shafts all having their ends projecting into said case in line withsaid gears said power shaft being attached to one of said gears,clutching means for clutching the wringer drivin shaft to move with thepower shaft, sai clutching means having mechanism to drive the wringershaft from the power shaft through said three gears, and clutching meansfor clutchin to said washer driving shaft.

11. In a washing machine, washing mechanism, wringing mechanism, powermeans the intermediate gear gears, one of said facing bevel gears being20 driven by said power means, driving means connecting said third bevelgear with said washing mechanism, releasable clutch means interposed insaid driving means, a shaft for driving said wringing mechanism and 25reversible clutch means for connecting said shaft to either of saidfacing bevel gears.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 30th da of March,A. D. 1918.

J HN A. DIENNER.

